


A Caged Heart

by Gette



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, partially inspired by Lovebitca8's The Auction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-10
Updated: 2019-11-10
Packaged: 2021-01-27 02:31:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,311
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21384625
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gette/pseuds/Gette
Summary: Lucius Malfoy cares for his sick grandchild and muses about overcoming past terrors. This is partially inspired by Lovebitca8's  The Auction. Grapes. Couldn't work socks in.
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy, Lucius Malfoy/Narcissa Black Malfoy
Comments: 8
Kudos: 126





	A Caged Heart

Terror. His heartbeat pounded in his chest despite criticisms from many that it didn’t exist. On the contrary, Lucius could feel quite a bit of emotion and his heart was often the thing that steered him back when he started to get too caught up in things.

It had been eight years since Lucius Malfoy had been so scared. It was an emotion unbecoming to a Malfoy and yet the Malfoy men had never been known to be overtly brave. The last time he had felt so worried he was shivering in a damp cell in Azkaban as he waited to find out if his son was going to be punished for his role as a Death Eater in the second war. The cards had been stacked against Draco Malfoy that day. He had watched his son be been branded with the Dark Mark but Draco had also indirectly poisoned Ron Weasley and cursed Katie Bell with a necklace, let death eaters into Hogwarts and attempted to kill Albus Dumbledore. Each of these things alone could account for decades in Azkaban but the thing that he knew weighed heaviest on his son’s mind was the one scenario that had helped save him from life imprisonment. 

Draco Malfoy had watched his future wife bleed on the floor of this very manor. Her blood had rushed from her pale arm red like anyone elses. Her blood was not dirty. If Lucius had just looked at her pale thin arm and the blood, it could have been his sons. As though hearing his thoughts, his sister in law continued her carving until the word “Mudblood” appeared in red cuts on her arm. Hermione’s screams had pierced the air and mixed with cackles of glee from Bellatrix as she carved her knife into the skin of the 18 year old witch. 

Lucius had seen his son pale and had watched him swallow back vomit as he attempted to step forward. He had already refused to identify Harry Potter, Ron Weasley or Hermione Granger even though it was obvious that the snatchers had caught them. Draco was buying time and was unwilling to seal their fate but looked powerless to do anything. That little step towards the girl on the floor had shown a change in Draco towards the possibility of action. Would he have tried to end the suffering? Would he have killed his aunt? Would he have grabbed the bloody girl and apparated out of the manor with her? Would he have ever seen his son again? 

The predictable nature of Draco now looked wildly unpredictable. The idea that Draco may branch off from the branch he had always been on became clear and Lucius felt like he was seeing his son for the first time. Lucius hadn’t been sure but he felt a change within him solidify at that moment. If his son made him choose between the Death Eaters and his family, he would choose his family. Across the room, his eyes had connected with his wifes and he knew that Narcissa was already ahead of him. Her wand was out and she had an arm on Draco’s shoulder in a calming way. He was a father, a terrible one but still one who loved his son and wife very much. Luckily, that scene had changed as chandeliers crashed and Dobby apparated Hermione and her friends to safety before Draco had time to try and help her. Draco’s feelings would remain hidden and safe to all but his parents who had long since suspected that the wild haired, intelligent, witty, mugleborn girl that their son always complained about was indeed always on his mind. Luckily, Lucius' worries had been abated by Hermione Granger and Harry Potter asking for a full pardon to be granted for Draco as he was pressured into taking the Dark mark, was underage and had not identified them at the Manor. A full pardon with some reparations were granted for Draco and Narcissa. Lucius himself had been fined 800,000 gallons, and been given a 10 year sentence. He had been released last year, 3 years early for good behavior.

The terror today centered on his son again and like waiting to hear how the trial went, Lucius had no control on making it better. Dragon Pox had taken Madeline Granger Malfoy Ill. His angelic 5 year old grand daughter lay in front of him, tucked into bed in pink pajammas featuring muggle cartoon pigs. "Its Peppa the Pig, grandpa!" she had insisted when he had asked in the past. A velvet purple blanket had been expertly tucked around her small body by Narcissa before Lucius had switched places watching over her. Her head peaked out from the velvet blanket with riotous light brown curls fanned out on the pillow. Her brow was damp with sweat and some curls stuck to her face. 

The blisters from the dragon pox appeared to have become less green and agitated. Her parents were also sick but were in quarantine from her now in the east end of the manor. Their immune systems were stronger but it was possible with Dragon Pox that although they had become sick from Madeline, that they could reinfect her if they visited her before they had all healed completely. That wasn't a risk he was willing to let any of them take. Lucius hoped the fading marks meant she would be safe soon. Fading marks were always a good thing in his book. He rubbed a gray patch on his right arm that he vowed would always remain hidden from the view of this precious child. She would hear about the horrors her grandfather and to a much lesser extent father had seen and done soon enough. He wanted to protect her (and to be honest his own heart) from that as long as possible.

As he watched her, Madelines eyes opened and Dracos baby eyes stared back at him "Grandpa!" the voice croaked out.

"Hello, Ms. Madeline! How are you feeling today?"

"I'm bored. I wish I could play with Mila outside, I'm tired of being sick".

"Mila can't play with you right now because she is with her mother and father at their Italian estate. Did you know that Mila and her parents have a large vineyard in Italy? It's called Zabini acres and both Blaise and Daphne visit it once a year with Mila. They have some of the best grapes in italy and I know you like grapes."

The little girl smiled thinking of grapes and her shy friend Mila. "I want to go to Italy and I want to play with Mila again!" she pronounced looking much more energized than she had all month.

Lucius laughed, she reminded him so much of her parents in so many ways but he was happy that she was finding making friends a little easier than Draco had.

He looked at her sweaty face and promised her "When the doctor says you and your parents are healed, we will go to Italy. Even I love grapes. Maybe we can eat some pizza too"

A large smile greeted him when he looked back at the controversial child born from a hidden relationship that no one knew what to think about. Her birth along with the wedding of his son to the fiercely intelligent Ms. Granger had ended over 1000 years of Malfoy blood purity. This spirited half blood little girl marked the end of one regime and the hope for the future. She was a symbol of love and Lucius could not have loved his grand daughter more. 

His heart had been closed in a cold prison for too long. Narcissa had unlocked it from its cage, Draco had opened the doors and Madeline was leading him out into a bright new world. The terror dissipated.


End file.
